Oil-well derrick.



T. A. NEILL.

OIL WELL DERRICK.

APPLICATION FILED was, 1908.

Patented Sept. 7, 1969.

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WITN ESSES G E I .BMD N E L H Tum 0 I Patented Sept. 7, 19'09.

WIT" ESSES THOMAS A. 'NEILL, OF MANNINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

OIL-WELL DERRICK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

Application filed August 13, 1908. Serial No. 448,279.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. NEILL, a resident of Mannington, in thecounty of Marion and State of West Virginia, have invented a. new anduseful Improvement in )il-W ell Derricks, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to towers and more especially to oil wellderricks. j

The object is to provide an all-metal tower or derrick which is composedof a few simple parts, which is of comparatively light weight so as toreduce the cost of transporting to the wells, and which can be easilyand rapidlyerected by unskilled labor with the use of only a few commontools.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the topportion of an oil well derrick constructed according to my invention;Fig. 2 is a similar View of the lower portion of the same; Fig. 3 is aside View on an enlarged scale showing one of the clamp sockets; Fig. 4is a vertical section of the same showing ortions of the legs; Fig. 5 isa plan view of the same; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 66,Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section through one of the feet. j

The derrick or other tower is intended to be constructed entirely ofmetal tubes, with the necessary connecting parts, in order to getmaximum strength with minimum weight. The derrick is provided with fourlegs as is usual, placed onan incline so that the derrick tapers towardthe top as is usual. These legs are composed of a, series of sections oftubes, the bottom ones indicated at 1, intermediate ones at 2 and 3, andthe top sections at 4. The legs are connected by the horizontal membersor girts 5, and diagonal braces 6, thus giving a built up tower orderrick of the usual type. The leg, sections are joined by suitableclamp sockets 7, which are so constructed as to also have the girts anddiagonal braces connected thereto. Each clamp socket is practically atubular sleeve slit or open at one side, as at 8, from top to bottom andprovided at the openin with radial flanges or ears 9 which areperforated for receiving compression bolts 10, by means of which theflanges or cars can be drawn together and the socket clamped onto theleg sections. Internally the sleeve is provided about midway of itslength with the rib or ledge 11, whlch lies between the ends of adacentleg sections, resting upon the lower leg section so as to prevent thesleeve from slipping down over the same,'while the upper leg sect-ionrests on to of said ledge or rib. The ledge or rib is substantiallymidway between the ends of the sleeve so as to give a deep seating forthe leg sections for a given length of sleeve.

Each sleeve is provided with flanges or ears projecting substantiallyradially and located substantially 90 degrees apart and serving asconnecting means for the girts and braces. As shown, each sleeve isprovided with a pair of such ears 12 near its lower end for theattachment of the lower braces 6 and with a similar pair of ears 13 forthe attachment of the upper braces 6 and with a pair of intermediatecars 14 for the attachment of the girts. and 14 might of course be onecontinuous flange, but for the sake of lightness a part of the metal isomitted, thus forming ears instead of continuous flanges. Each ear isperforated as at 15 for receiving-a bolt 16 or the like by means ofwhich a. brace or girt is connected to the sleeve. Each ear or flange isprovided adjacent to the bolt hole 15 with a boss 17 against which thehead of the bolt contacts so as to prevent the latter from turning whenthe nut is being screwed on or off. These bosses also serve as abutmentsfor the ends of the girts or braces, as indicated in Fig. 5, so as tosomewhat relieve the bolts from shearing stresses. Similar bosses 19 areprovided on the radial ears or flanges 9 and serve to prevent rotationof the compression bolts-10.

Reinforcements 20 are provided on the sleeve between the pairs offlanges or cars to which the braces and girts are connected, suchreinforcements being in the form of ribs running into the bolt headbosses 17. These reinforcements take care of the stresses due to thebraces and girts on the two adjacent sides of the derrick or tower.These reinforcements do not extend around the main portion of the bodyof the sleeve, but the latter is left Without special reinforcement Thecars 12, 13

and of substantially uniform thickness so that it can yield quitereadily and be very tightly clamped on the leg sections.

The legs at. their lower ends are set into sockets 21 providedwithplates 22 forming the feet for the legs and arranged to be bolted toa suitable foundation. I screws 23 extend through the walls of theBinding l sockets 22 and against the lower ends of the legs. At the topsexactly similar members are used except that they are reversed, soforming the caps 24 with horizontal flat up-' per faces upon which maybe placed the beams or other members for supporting the oil well rig.

The leg sections are formed of metal tubes and the braces and girtslikewise are of smaller sized tubes, thus giving maximum strength forminimum weight. The ends of the girts and brace tubes are preferablyflattened as shown, so as to permit a more convenient attachment to theclamps or sleeves. The feet and caps can be of castings, such as castiron, but the clamp sockets or sleeves are preferably of cast steel, soas to give greater strength and enable the same to be used as a clamp inthe true sense of the term and also to make them practicallyindestructible.

The entire derrick is very light, even compared with wooden derricks,thus facilitating transportation, which is of importance as the wellsare frequently located in mountainous and other locations difficult toreach. The tubes can all be out before shipment and only a few simpleparts are necessary. These can be readily erected by unskilled labor. Inerection, the lowersections of the legs are first erected and clamped inthe feet, sleeve sockets are then slipped over the upper endsof the sameuntil the rib or ledge 11 rests on top of the leg sections, when thefirst set of girts can be connected thereto. The next leg sections arethen set into the sleeves or sockets and the compression bolts tightenedup to clamp the adjacent ends of the leg sections. Other sleeves orsockets are then placed on the upper ends of these second leg sections,after which another set of girts and a set of diagonal braces areapplied; this is continued until the derrick .or tower is completelyerected. In this work no tool is necessary other than an ordinary wrenchof suflicient size. The consequence is that the derrick or other towercan be erected at a minimum labor cost.

While the invention is particularly adapted for oil well derricks, itwill be understood that it is also adapted for a tower for any purpose.

What I claim is:

1. A metal oil well derrick or tower comprising tubular leg sections,clamping sockets uniting the ends of adjacent leg sections and providedwith two sets of perforated ears or flanges located substantially 90degrees apart and each set, providing three perforations arranged invertical relation to each other, and tubular girls and braces providedwith flat, tencd perforated ends, a girt being bolted to theintermediate perforation in each set of cars or flanges and a bracebolted to the upper and lower perforations of each set of ears orflanges.

2. A metal oil well derrick or tower comprising tubular leg sections,sockets receiving the ends of adjacent leg sections and each comprisinga sleeve slit on one side and provided at the slit with radial flangesor ears for receiving compression bolts, and provided with two sets ofperforated ears or flanges each providing three perforations arranged invertical relation to each other, said socket having braces extendingbetween said ears to flanges substantially in line with theperforations, but having the remainder of its body of substantiallyuniform thickness, and braces and girts having their ends bolted to saidears or flanges.

3. A clamp or socket for oil well derricks and towers comprising asleeve slit on one side and provided at said slit with radial flanges orears for receiving compression bolts, and provided opposite said slitwith two sets of perforated radial ears or flanges for the connection ofbraces and girts, and being provided with braces or reinforcementsbetween said ears or flanges substantially in line with the perforationstherein, said sleeve between said perforated ears or flanges and theslit being of substantially uniform thickness.

l. A clamp or socket for oil well derricks or towers comprising a sleeveopen on one side and provided at said opening with ra dial flanges orears for receiving compression bolts, and being provided opposite saidopening with perforated radial ears or flanges for the connection ofbraces and girts, and being provided with braces or reinforcementsbetween said last. named flanges or cars, said braces or reinforcementsextending onto the flanges or cars into proximity to the perforationstherein. 1

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set.

my hand.

THOMAS A. NETLL Witnesses D. J. ONEIL,

-J. M. Cannanww.

